A couple of years ago, the entire village of Pappapalayam near Vellakoil in Tirupur was overcome with grief after their prized Jallikattu bull Kaaramkaalai passed away. He was a veteran fighter, who had participated in many tournaments and had earned the sobriquet of ‘Othai Kombu Kaalai’ after he had lost a horn in one of these tournaments. He had passed away in 2018 after developing respiratory issues.
A forty-three-year-old farmer named Chellamuthu from Tirupur has now paid a fitting tribute to this prized bull by erecting a statue of him in the bull’s native village. It cost him ₹2 lakhs to erect the statue.Showing his undying love for the Kangeyam Jallikattu bull he said “He was very loving and affectionate with people and attracted quite a following among my friends, relatives, and the villagers,” Chellamuthu smiled.
“He was found dead on September 16, 2018. I just broke down. The entire village was shocked and upset,” he recalled. As he was so important to the family, Kaaramkalai was buried in Chellamuthu’s coconut grove. He recollects saying that even today, anyone who visits his house enquires about Kaaramkaalai.
The statue was unveiled in the coconut grove in the presence of 50 people — family, friends and villagers — following Covid-19 norms.